Arguably, he is one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country.
In portraits taken in his later years, Lincoln’s face reflects the pressure and strain of presiding over a divided country. Yet his face is a steadfast reminder of that which is good in the United States.
Lincoln is a tribute to the fact that one should never give up. He is a testament of persistence and fortitude. If there was anybody who could have had the right to give up, it was him; his history proves otherwise.
For quite some time, I carried these facts about Lincoln in my Bible case:
"At the age of 9, his mother died. In 1831, he failed in business. In 1832, he was defeated in his run for the Illinois State Legislature. In 1832, he lost his job and wanted to go to law school – but couldn't get in. The year 1833 brought him 17 years of debt. In 1834, he ran for the state legislature again and won. In 1835, he was engaged to be married, but his fiancé died. In 1836, he had a nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months. In 1838, he sought to be speaker of the state legislature and was defeated. In 1840, he sought to be elector and was defeated. In 1843, ran for Congress and lost. In 1846, he ran for Congress and won. In 1848, he ran for re-election to Congress and lost. In 1849, he sought the job of land officer of his home state and lost. In 1854, he ran for Senate of the United States and lost. In 1856, he sought the vice presidential nomination at his party's national convention and got less than 100 votes. In 1858, he ran for the United States Senate again, and lost.
"President Lincoln’s perseverance paid off. He had a "never-give-up" mentality, and in 1860, he was elected the 16th president of the United States of America."
Can you imagine where our country would be today if he would have given up? I submit to the reader that the impact of this one man and his legacy has shaped our nation indefinitely.
Lincoln himself said: “The difference between history’s boldest accomplishments and its most staggering failures is often, simply, the diligent will to persevere.”
President Lincoln’s life should be motivation enough that anybody can make it. What has been his impact? Today, 203 years after his birth, we are still talking about him and lauding him for his excellent service to our country. Never give up!